Actress MARITA DE LARA Creates Romantic Bliss in Hallmark Channel's New Summer Nights Romance 'HIDDEN GEMS'

STUDIO CITY, Calif. - June 4, 2022 - PRLog -- Actress Marita de Lara is Hannah, the savvy concierge turned cupid to Hunter King and Beau Mirchoff in Hallmark Channel's new Hawaiian romance movie, HIDDEN GEMS. The film premieres on June 4th as part of the Hallmark's annual "Summer Nights" lineup.

In HIDDEN GEMS, Addie (King) is prepping for sister's wedding when she loses her grandmother's ring in the waters of Hawaii. De Lara plays Hannah, the head concierge and wedding planner at the Kahala Resort, who recommends the desperate Addie hire dive instructor Jack (Mirchoff) to help find the ring. Along the way – with a little help from matchmaker Hannah – Addie rediscovers her love of the sea and much more.

"It was a dream to work on a Hallmark movie in Oahu and visit with family. The film was a celebration of love, family, and Oahu," said de Lara. In a case of art imitating life, de Lara explained that "the ring in the film, a rare Southern Philippines pearl, is nearly identical to a ring my Lola (grandmother) left to me when she passed. So, I really connected with emotions behind the story. And, fun fact, the film premieres on my wedding anniversary!"

Most recently, de Lara appeared in Apple TV's new bilingual thriller series, Now and Then, starring Rosie Perez, Marina de Tavira, and José María Yazpik. Television audiences will also recognize de Lara from her numerous television appearances including on This Is Us, Hawaii Five-O, and The Shield among others. Daytime fans will remember her recent recurring role as neonatologist Dr. Maria Fleming on ABC's daytime drama General Hospital, as well as appearances on Days of Our Lives (NBC), Bold and the Beautiful (CBS), One Life to Live (ABC), and the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles (ABC).

Originally from Baltimore, MD, de Lara is a classically trained stage actor, singer, and dancer with extensive New York theater credits. She graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University School of Drama and trained in classical ballet at the Washington Ballet. de Lara is proud of her multi-cultural Filipino American background which includes Pacific Islander, Latinidad, and Indigenous heritage.

The talented actress set her sights on writing, grabbing attention for her original comedy pilot Potty Mouth. The script was a Semifinalist at Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Fall 2020, Quarterfinalist at Stage 32 TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest 2021, and Semifinalist at Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2021 Spring Edition.

Follow MARITA DE LARA on Instagram: @maritadelara